Comics on Duty

I didn't think I'd make it, but here it is Friday and the weekend again! Woo hoo!

I went to Comics on Duty last night and my sides are still hurting. My girls know how I can laugh when I get going and the tears start and you can’t catch your breath and the comic is on a roll and they know just how to turn their rubber face that last inch and milk it a little more. I love those shows. A good movie, a good comedy, a good stand-up comic who can work the crowd? Priceless.

There were 5 comics that came to the camp and did three shows. We were the last show. God love those guys who come and entertain troops, it’s a privilege to see them. There are all kinds of reasons these shows get canceled but when they make it there’s not enough words to describe how appreciative we are. We’re an easy audience for even the rookies. It’s only the third show we’ve had. We had Purrfect Angels here a couple of months ago, want to guess what that was all about? (missed it, had to work...I heard it was good)

Wednesday & Thursday were tough days here. There were some demands made that weren’t met and some products that didn’t get completed in time. There were some unhappy people but sometimes you can’t please everyone all the time. Suffice it to say that we’d rather have the CG yell at us than be disappointed in us and I guess that’s so telling with many jobs. We’ve been here for over 4 months now and the bar keeps getting raised so we can offload to the ISF and leave. I guess she has a lot of faith in us. She's under a lot of pressure, too, so getting away to see the comics was a welcome relief and gets you in the mindset to go back to work again the next day.

We received an email from friends of SSG Xavier Torres who mobilized with us but was back in the states with his wife and his newborn daughter. There were complications and the wife was being disconnected from life support on Wednesday, it was such a tragedy. In perspective, with my healthy family and friends, I should feel like a King, and do. Family Readiness Group should be on this, I know we’re taking up a collection for a bond or scholarship for his daughter.

Remember to take some time and touch someone, each day, and tell them they’re special. It really is a short life.

Best wishes from Iraq.